Beyond AbsentMinded
by FireWithinMidnight
Summary: Fourteen years ago, Kratos's family was destroyed. Now he has nothing left outside of his son's little, red shoe. Be AbsentMinded from Kratos and Colette's PoV, AU, What If...?, possible OoC


_Merry (late) Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!_

_If anyone read my profile before, you already know __Beyond AbsentMinded__follows the same story of __Be AbsentMinded__, but from Kratos's PoV –then Colette's, and then other characters whose PoVs don't come to play in the other fanfic._

_Be AbsentMinded has higher priority however, so I'll update that first and then write for this. About that, the new chapter is nearly ready, I just need to connect all the scenes together and complete one dialogue. I expect to upload it tonight or tomorrow (take in count I live in Italy, so your tonight may not match my time)._

_Again, contains **AU**, **What If…?**, (possibly) slight **OoC **and FCs, and feel free to point out anything that troubles you, whether it's characterization, plotholes –anything!_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tales of Symphonia and the characters which appeared in the game, and I do not earn any money from this story._

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><p>"Anna! LLOYD!"<p>

Kratos raised his sword just in time for it to clash against the blade of the human Desian swordsman; they both jumped backward. Although the human warrior was already in an offensive pose, holding his sword with both his hands, Kratos's mind was wandering to the cliff nearby. He had been so close, and yet Lloyd and Anna…!

"Get him! Get him!" one second of distraction was all what the Desians had needed to swarm the area anew. The seraphim swore quietly under his breath as he rapidly chanted a spell; he pointed the blade at the soldiers now between him and the human swordsman, yelling; "GRAVE!"

Four boulders emerged from the soil, stabbing in rapid succession whoever lingered for one second too much in that circle of death. One Desian, however, jumped over the last boulder -which had raised in the middle of the spell- and landed on its top. But she leaped off as the rock began cracking under her feet; she landed behind the seraphim. Kratos saw her jumping down the cliff as he slashed more soldiers whom had dashed at his sides.

Another blade poked out of his right shoulder; looking over it, the seraphim saw the human swordsman smirking behind him. Thankfully, his angelic body was unable to feel pain -but that warrior must have known that as well, as he had already jumped out of his reach when Kratos spun around. The seraphim's blade only cut part of the human's long coat.

"_I, who stands where the lights of the heaven shine…_"

The bastard was using those men as meat shield! Another Desian came in front of him, preventing Kratos from seeing the Grand Cardinal. With a swipe of his sword, the poor half-elf crumbled on the ground -his chest slashed from his left shoulder to the right hip. He'd be dead before healers could get to him.

"…_Command thee, unlock the Gates of Hell…_"

Two runic circles shined in existence, one way above his head and one right below his feet. That white-haired human swordsman was standing ahead to Kvar with his sword drawn -surely to protect his superior from any frontal attacks.

Kratos let go of the strands of mana as Desians fled back to the mutilated walls and front gate of the Iselia ranch. With one last glance at the cliff, he swore and leaped to reach his family-

"_Come forth, sacred lightning! INDIGNATION!_"

The mana rings unfastened and enclosed the seraphim before he could jump off.

Everything turned white when the roaring lightning descended upon him, knocking down those who were still too near. Someone screamed in pain -merciless thunderbolts creeping through the incomplete barrier of the spell.

The moment his vision began to clear up, Kratos found himself flat on the dirt. What was left of his magic armour had been reduced into useless pieces, and the mortal protections he had acquired after leaving Cruxis was nothing against further Desian assaults. At least, he had never let go of his sword, whose edge was as sharp as ever.

He had stayed down one second too much as Kvar had walked up to his body. His human lackey voiced his protests about getting inside Kratos's attack range, but the half-elf wasn't checking if he was dead. He raised his staff and summoned mana into it, no amusement visible on his features.

Then he screamed in pain: Kratos's cloak was still billowing in the air when he had already sprung on one foot and knee and struck. The Grand Cardinal stepped back, clutching the horrible wound on his chest as if trying to prevent it from bleeding.

Despite the temptation of finishing him off immediately, the seraphim summoned his wings and darted backward, over the cliff.

The descent was rapid. He soon landed on soil -what was weird was the conglomerate of mana that quickly disappeared from the place. Yet that didn't take his attention.

"_Anna_."

The still body of the Exebula did.

"Anna…Anna no, _no_..." Kratos whispered, the heart seemingly shattering in his throat. "This can't be happening..."

He ignored the torn goners around her; they had no importance. Instead her, _Anna_ -still in the form of a monster, but not wheezing in pain or begging him to kill her. But at least she was in peace now, and it was all his fault.

Kratos fell on his knees next to the body. His widened eyes stared in horror both at the lethal injury he had given her -which must have dissipated her life- and the bleeding hole on her forehead. Her hand, three long indexes with sharp talons, was firmly closed in a fist. For all he could understand, she had clawed the exsphere out and then smashed it.

Near that limb, a simple red shoes laid in a pool of blood.

"_Lloyd_."

Kratos crawled the shoes in his hands slowly, all the while muttering; "No, no -why, why did it happen..." With all the hope in the world lost, he broke down in tears and screamed.

* * *

><p>It took all the willpower he had left to abandon Anna's body behind with just Lloyd's shoe in hands. The sheath strapped to his waist was empty, he hadn't retrieved his weapon after it had slipped from his weak grasp.<p>

As he looked at the night sea, Kratos understood he didn't care. He couldn't defend his family with it, he wouldn't defend himself. No, he would welcome death in any way it came to him.

And right now -it looked he had arrived in the form of his other old comrade, Yuan. Kratos hadn't perceived him, it was the blue-haired half-elf who made his presence known when he forced the seraphim to spun around.

"I could have killed you Kratos," he said breathless. Everything in his expression -his tight mouth, his cold eyes- suggested he was serious about the matter. "I could have killed you and you wouldn't have noticed."

Since Kratos failed to answer, Yuan snorted and continued; "So, is that it? Is it completely done? You were so set on saving the worlds, what happened?"

"My family is dead," finally the seraphim spoke ragged; "Why should I fight? There's nothing worth to be saved."

Yuan fumed right away, he even growled softly; he brought the dagger he had applied to Kratos's neck down and regarded the seraphim with regret -or was it hatred, or pity, or… So many emotions were flashing in Yuan's normally calculating eyes.

"I cannot kill who is already dead."

Those were Yuan's last words before turning around. He could have tentatively looked back to see whether his little speech moved some emotion in Kratos, he could have not. The other seraphim's eyes were fastened on the calm, unruffled sea. But they didn't reflect the sparkling water or the full moon; they were empty and devoid of life. There could have been a raging fire around him and he wouldn't have noticed anything.

The world looked so much bland and hopeless without his Anna...Without his Lloyd.

The Crystal on his left hand came alive with a shine; and then every emotion he could be feeling outside of apathy disappeared, locked away in his soul not to be used again. He didn't need emotion, he didn't need them anymore. He should have never let his heart take control of his mind -for all the happiness he had felt with his family, he was damned from the beginning to outlive them. To watch them grow old and die while he was eternally young.

He had damned himself when he accepted the Cruxis Crystal bestowed on his person and yet had hoped to get out of this contract. He hadn't done anything to prevent Martel's death and to stop Mithos from falling into despair and insanity.

It was for the best. His Crystal finally allowed him to see it -it was best for Lloyd and Anna to be dead now. Kratos had strayed from his mission, despite how the destiny of two worlds had been in his hands for 4000 years.

He had to get back -at least, for the sake of one world, the world he had been born in and had sworn to protect.

The seraphim disappeared soon from the beach. Who cared if a mortal had seen his wings or his departure to Derris-Kharlan. He had to face _him_, who had been without doubts already informed of the events that had recently occurred.

The needs of one man were nothing compared to the ones of two worlds.

* * *

><p>One second later he was again on Derris-Kharlan, in the outskirts of Welgaia. For a human that didn't mean much: the outskirts were just like the centre of the city, with purple covered by coloured patterns platforms suspended in the air and buildings placed on them. The sky was also violet and devoid of any stars; indeed, the light coming from the planet underneath them was too strong for any star to shine on the comet.<p>

Kratos observed unfazed the tall constructions; tall enough for them to disappear from a mortal's eye in the sky, and they were all connected to each other thanks to multiple blue platforms or tunnels. Even without wings it was possible to walk from the other side of Welgaia to another. If the mana-powered analyzers and angels wouldn't stop any non-Desian ranked person wandering in the city.

The main difference from the centre of the city was the absence of angels except from black-winged guards. They were the only ones with a task appointed far from Vinheim and the major laboratories and storages, and they stood still next to the scarce teleports which communicated with Sylvarant and Tethe'Alla's surfaces.

Yet, they didn't make a single move when the older seraphim had appeared. The news of Anna and Lloyd's death must have already reached Lord Yggdrasill -it was the only logical explanation Kratos could think of. Anything else was useless unless Lord Yggdrasill stated otherwise.

The possibility of speaking with the soulless angels and discover their orders formed in the seraphim's mind, but it was soon discarded. After spending about 4 years on the run -Lord Yggdrasill would have withdrawn any information from Welgaia so Kratos would have to come to him. To bow down once again in front of him and beg for it.

He could have easily teleported or flown in Vinheim, but...It wasn't proper behaviour. Any traitor had to walk in shame through cities and people and under the contemptuous eyes of his old Master. It was ancient praxis, and Kratos himself had lead so many traitors through the shame and to their death.

And so he began his slow, calm walk in the silent city. He kept his head low through all of it -the angels may be emotionless, but their eyes would suddenly focus on his figure and burn through it. They'd remember and keep their once lord in disdain until Lord Yggdrasill believed his punishment had lasted enough.

As seraphims were immortal, his punishment could never meet its end.

* * *

><p>When Kratos opened wide the doors bringing to Lord Yggdrasill's throne, no word was spoken. On the other side, no one was actually there. The throne stood magnificent and bright in the swirling darkness, not unlike the divine light that guided the faithful through his sins and toward his ultimate salvation to the hands of Goddess Martel.<p>

There was only one thing he was supposed to do.

Swiftly, Kratos was in front of the celestial throne and bowed on one knee, one hand on the bent limb and the other supporting the rest of his body on the cold ground. His head was also directed below and his neck unprotected -so Lord Yggdrasill could behead him easily in case he saw it as a fitting end.

Memories of a happy, laughing family threatened to make its way in his mind, since it had been deep in thoughts the second he bowed down. He could see Anna -the sleeves of her simple, brown dress rolled up to her elbows, her hair collected in a single foulard- fixing flour and apples and eggs and she knew what else to prepare a cake, while Lloyd was trying his best to reach the table and catch something spilling over. One seconds later the toddler was soaked from head to toes into liquor, and then he was sniffing and crying because he had ruined the clothes his mother made, and because it was so cold.

Kratos shook his head slowly. He was doing his best to not think of the past -until he stepped into the light. He had to be cleaned of his sins, but they wouldn't go away on his own; he had to work and deserve his redemption.

For Lord Yggdrasill was all he had left. No more family -no more Anna clutching his hand, breathing deeply and ignoring the hair plastered on her sweaty forehead and face, while her eyes were sparkling at the sight of their infant son who was only a few minutes old. No more Lloyd grasping what toy he hadn't already destroyed and biting it, all while he glanced at his father with innocent sight.

No more Lloyd sneaking up on his father's equipment and searching for the big sword used to protect him and his mother; surely no more child looking frightened and sputtering random sentences meant to be excuses once caught up. No more Anna scolding him -he could have gotten hurt! Sharp blades weren't meant for children- and then picking him up, letting him bawl how sorry he was into her dress.

But mostly, Kratos consciously knew he should have been horrified of his Crystal dampening his emotional responses on purpose after each memory. He would relieve his short time with his most precious people -dead most precious people- until he would feel nothing. Until they were just strangers who stumbled on his passage, and then stumbled again out of it...

Angels didn't feel emotions. Angels didn't feel the warmth of people's hands, nor they felt the coldness of an empty room. Angels only obeyed their Master and Lord.

That was Kratos's redemption.

* * *

><p>Since Derris-Kharlan was an abnormality in the system -exactly like Sylvarant and Tethe'Alla, which used to be one single planet so many centuries before- powered by its own mana, the rays emanated by the comet's core made sure it was always day.<p>

Thus, it was impossible to measure the passage of time through natural ways. Only machines would register such flow, as the angels' strictly logical consciousness and immortality made them insensitive to something that didn't touch them.

So Kratos was left with no resources to know how much time he had spent on his own adoring the divine throne and light. But even if he had known -the seraphim quickly scolded himself-, it mattered only when Lord Yggdrasill decided he could be momentarily pardoned.

Nonetheless, his Crystal didn't immediately squash a small bubble of hope forming in his chest when the mana in the chamber shifted. Soon after, the source responsible for the change moved in front of Kratos -on the brilliant throne.

"Ah, my former _teacher_," the other began suave. The seraphim immediately picked it up as Lord Yggdrasill's voice; there was no way he could mistake it for anyone else's; "I knew you would come back to me. What's a _mortal_ woman you've known for an insignificant period compared to your old and favourite pupil, whom you followed in his path of greatness?"

"Or are you still remembering about that..." Lord Yggdrasill made to look as if he was thinking about the right word to use; "_Child_? Yes, it was a child, wasn't it? A mere toddler of about three years. There have been so many children on the worlds, what makes him so special? Your abnormal desire to procreate must have been a mistake in the production of your key-crest. You should have told me, Kratos, not run away."

The blond angel smiled serenely at the seraphim's lack of reaction. He didn't even wane or clutch his hand in a fist.

"What a disgrace, Kratos. You were Cruxis's most fine seraphim, a pinnacle everyone should have imitated, and you've never allowed anything to hurt me -just like you protected me from straying from our noble Path."

"Do you remember our Path, Kratos? The great mission we've been graced with so many years ago, everyone but us has forgotten despite how we've reigned over _them_. It can still be your Path, our Path, again as teacher and pupil."

He relaxed against the throne and eyed the older man carefully. Not even a single twitch had come from him -hadn't it been for his mana, it would have looked like Kratos was a sculpture, the work of the greatest artist who had ever lived.

Then Lord Yggdrasill's voice was impatient and full of venom. "Forget them, Kratos! What were they? You had _me_, you can still have _me_! You cannot pass our time and all we've done together for a pair of mortals! For how much did you live with them? Four, five years at most! It's nothing compared to our eternity! Nothing!"

When utter silence descended on them once again, Kratos finally spoke.

"I beg for your forgiveness, milord," he said, not a single inflection present in his tone. All his words were flat, making it impossible to understand if there was any feeling behind them; "I had seen danger in Grand Cardinal Kvar's grand project; I had descended to make certain it was your order, and nothing more."

"What about you running away with a low human, no, a _host body_?" came the irate question, albeit Lord Yggdrasill's rage had somewhat subdued.

"As you said... Merely an unexpected [lacuna] of my Cruxis Crystal, milord. My primary instincts, amplified by human mature age, had taken the best of me when opposed to a woman of my liking."

The blond angel shook his head and sneered. "Do you understand that your failure and betrayal costed us an invaluable project? We had a new source of Cruxis Crystal at hand, and you wasted it."

"Milord-"

"Don't interrupt me!" arrived the angry shout. Kratos froze up immediately. "We're running out of Cruxis Crystal! Kvar was the _only_ Grand Cardinal who finally made progress into their reproduction, and now everything must be started from the beginning again!"

Then he sat back down, staring contemplatively at his former teacher. The older seraphim wondered for a moment if it was his turn to speak, but Lord Yggdrasil hadn't given him a specific verbal permission. Kratos didn't raise his head, so he could merely speculate how his Master was looking at him.

His ears perked up when he detected a sigh form the blond angel. "However, I have partial fault in this as well. I'm well aware how _ambitious_ Kvar is -I know everything about his quest for power and knowledge. I should have had him under strict control since the beginning, then you wouldn't have felt the need to take the matter in your hands."

"If I may speak, milord," interrupted the older seraphim. Lord Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further; "I had a secondary reason for checking his work. As ambitious as he can be, he's one of our best scientist along with Rodyle and the late Azazel -but even among them and his equally valuable scientists, he is only one who lives for his researches and studies."

"In other words... I was curious to a certain degree on the results he had accomplished, since -as you said- he is the only one who managed to recreate a Cruxis Crystal using host bodies."

It was partially true -up to that moment, he had preferred Kvar over the other Grand Cardinals. Where he lacked sympathy, compassion for his own soldiers and teamwork, he had more than made up with his no-nonsense and straight to the point attitude and his workaholic tendencies. Kratos had first noted him in an accident which occurred roughly 50 years before: due to maintenance failure, the structures on Derris-Kharlan had started rejecting the mana of the comet. Angels were immediately ordered to find the fault that lead to the breaking point, but they were still at the beginning of their research when Kvar had presented the complete solution.

The half-elf wasn't even intimately familiar with the entire complex of Welgaia -he had been nominated Leader of the Grand Cardinals little time before, thus hadn't spent much time on Derris-Kharlan altogether. And yet, when he came to know about the critic issue, he basically stopped sleeping and didn't eat more than one meal every 24 hours until he had everything under control. He had then passed a whole day in one of the refrigerating machine to recover the damage inflicted upon his person, but it was still an incredible achievement since he had been against immortal beings which naturally didn't need sleep or nourishment.

It hadn't helped on the long run, though: Leaders needed to be charismatic and skilled in social relations in order to keep groups together. Kvar was neither -and believed inspiring terror was the only way to keep people under him at bay. Even worse, he had once challenged Lord Yggdrasill despite their power and rank disparity; after that, he had been quickly demoted and Pronyma was chosen in his place. Sweet, malleable Pronyma who would give her life for Lord Yggdrasill, so she was less inclined to think with her head when it came to the blond angel's orders.

But the greatest mistake, in Kratos's opinion, was giving Kvar free reign over the Asgard ranch. His works and results doubled -no, they nearly tripled afterward-, but it had made him bitter and _angry_. A third of the Asgard Desians were suddenly gone, and the majority of the survivors were begging on their knees to be transferred under another Grand Cardinal. If he recalled correctly, the only survivor of the magical section was an obscure scientist called Rak'Sai; he was a simple trainee at the time, but after the purge Kvar put him as the magical Head Captain and Head Scientist.

If only Lord Yggdrasill had been more interested in the Desians' fate outside of their Grand Cardinals, Kvar would have been permanently disposed of on the moment. On a twist, however, Kvar had decided he had eliminated enough elements linking to his past and the soldiers then recruited were better and more than capable to hold the Grand Cardinal's inhuman schedules. The Asgard ranch became the most productive complex since the last 200 years and its growth didn't give any sign to stop as long as Kvar was in place.

"As you say, Kratos," Lord Yggdrasill's soft voice snapped the older seraphim's attention back to him; "It is but a futile exercise of imagination to think what could have been done. The only thing that matters, _now_, is where you want to stand."

So he stepped down from the throne and the elevated floor; he paced slowly, ever so slowly around Kratos without ever diverting his eyes from him.

"Will you come back to me, or are you forever lost to those _mortals?_" he spat the last word with disdain.

Kratos's reply came fast; "I stand with you and you only, for the sake of Martel and her perfect world."

Lord Yggdrasill smiled instantly with real happiness; he clapped one time and the oppressing darkness around disappeared, restoring the chamber's previous radiance. There was no more shadow hiding in the corners and waiting to predate on oblivious preys, so both the richly decorated columns and ceiling -which was further adorned by beautiful representations of all the known Summon Spirits splayed around their subject of praises, Martel- were again on sight. The normal surfaces had the colour of bronze, instead of being a mottled grey.

To the older seraphim's surprise, he wasn't alone with Lord Yggdrasill anymore: both white-winged and black-winged angels were flocking from any possible entrance. It was possible they had been waiting out of sight since the beginning, perhaps to slain the older man the second he had strayed from the path he had been given.

But whatever they had been doing there before was now out of reach. The blond angel grasped Kratos's right shoulder lightly and nodded; "You may now rise... Master."

That ancient title had been muttered with so much emotion -so much emotion he hadn't heard from his former pupil for _years_, Kratos knew he had no chances of turning his back on Mithos. Not now, not anytime soon, probably never again. And so he obeyed meekly, turning around to face the crowd at the blond angel's gentle prompt.

All the other angels were regularly lined in front of the their Lords. Many, many more were cluttering the entrance and the hallways, the stairs and all the way back to Vinheim's gateway. The auburn seraphim had no way to verify it, but he thought all the angels of Derris-Kharlan had been called there, and whoever didn't make it in time was now waiting patiently with the others in Welgaia.

"Angels!" Lord Yggdrasill spoke and stretched his arms wide to them; "My brothers and sisters. Our beloved Lord Aurion has come back to us, conscious of his sins and asking for Goddess Martel's redemption. Let's work all back together toward our Age of the Lifeless Beings! Praise again your prodigal master, Lord Aurion!"

"Hail Lord Aurion! Hail Lord Aurion!" was the unanimous chant of the angels; it easily reverberated through the halls and even outside the castle. "Hail Lord Aurion! Hail Lord Aurion! Hail Lord Aurion!"

Stunned as he was, Kratos didn't make a single move. A few seconds into the chanting, instead, he jerked his chin up, admiring fully the work they had done throughout the centuries. There was no more turning back.

For the sake of the united world.

It was only when a pair of angels escorted him out of the chamber to accompany the older seraphim toward his private quarters that he noticed Yuan's absence; yet, he didn't think anything of it and let himself be culled into a blessed, refreshing trance.

* * *

><p>Shortly after dismissing his former teacher to his bedrooms, Yggdrasill found himself extremely annoyed at being told about a <em>certain<em> Grand Cardinal choking Welgaia's channels to Sylvarant with insistent requests of _discussing_ with him.

He had given in the temptation of ignoring the bothersome half-elf until he had made clear he wasn't going to stop until he got an answer. That's when his mood exploded, and not in a good way.

"With what kind of nerve does he _pretend_ to contact _me_!" the blond angel shouted in the now empty hall; "Failure! Utter failure! If just I had someone else at hand up to the task, I'd have him stripped of all his measly power and thrown in a Tethe'Allan prison! Derided and humiliated where it hurts him more! Pronyma! _Where is Pronyma?_"

Right on cue, the female green-haired Grand Cardinal took a step in the chamber. She strode without hesitation despite how her floating scales tightened around her person as if in defence. She bowed down quickly, nothing more than a formality given the urgency of the call. "I'm here, milord," her voice ringed softly.

"That _idiot_ Kvar believes he has sufficient entitlement to _pretend_ to speak directly with me! After all he has done -and ignored to do despite being ordered to!" despite all, Yggdrasill had to admit to himself he had been provided with a nice and acceptable target for his rage. He had restrained himself toward his late teacher not only because he was one of his greatest assets and Origin's Seal, but also for their ancient friendship. Kvar was equally hated by his fellow Desians and soldiers, he could count on the fingers of one hand who may have stood up for the blasted half-elf. And none of them were a match to Yggdrasill's power.

Pronyma seemed to agree as she sneered right at the mention of his name. "That fool," she said; "I shall take care of him right now, milord. Is there anything in particular I should tell him?"

Yggdrasill frowned. There _was_ something nagging him, and sadly Kvar hold the answer he was looking for. "He _finally_ managed to bring Lord Kratos back here, I have to commend him that. But nothing more. And actually, I feel he's withholding important information from us. Have you read his report already?"

Pronyma shook her head; "No, milord."

"I hadn't expected you to, it just arrived in my hands," he threw the light folder at her feet. "Nothing really worthy to know, it mainly says he ambushed Lord Kratos and his _family_ at the Iselia ranch. Forcystus's soldiers took a part in the fight too. It ended shortly after A012 and her worthless spawn fell over the cliff. A _captain_ apparently was ordered to leave the battle to check whatever happened to A012 and Kratos's son. The toddler was captured, and that's it."

"I want you to ask him what happened to the human and the Angelus Project, since he thought it was a gracious idea to not let us know, even when _I_ commissioned the project and granted him the recipient for it!"

The green-haired Grand Cardinal had picked up the file and was carefully reading the report, which was made of a single paper. She noted disgusted how Lord Yggdrasill had basically told her everything it was written on it.

It was probably the worst report Kvar had ever turned in, it rivalled even Magnius's worst days! It didn't even contain the names of the higher ranked Desians involved both from Kvar's division and Forcystus's division, let alone the resources used up or the victims or anything else that wasn't part of the pathetic tale.

"There must be something up, milord," she murmured as she flipped the flimsy paper in her hand; "Kvar is a horrible person unworthy of our glory, but his work has always been accurate to the smallest detail and it reflected in his files. I can't see the reason of turning in something so rush and poorly executed."

Yggdrasill's eyes light up in suspicious. Pronyma had a point and it wasn't something he could dismiss easily. "Question him about the Angelus Project and tell him he'll have no more recipients from me. Then report everything to me, both his answer and your opinions on it -and contact Rodyle, I have a task for him."

The Grand Cardinal grimaced at the mention of the oldest of the group. He wasn't as bad as Kvar, but he still wasn't completely there in his mind. How he managed to stay in that rank for as long as he did was a mystery to her.

But she didn't voice this. She bowed her head and whispered a quick; "I shall, milord," before putting the file under her arm and leaving the chamber without wasting any more time.

* * *

><p>…<em>Always, if there's Kvar in it, I start rambling. <em>

_A lot of time was spent cross-checking for details; I even managed to type how Kratos came back in the morning when Kvar was told about the seraphim coming back when it was still night. _

_Kratos didn't wait that much in the chamber actually, but the process brought upon him completely flickered his senses. He spent in his mind way more time than he did kneeled down._

_The scene at the beach with Yuan is canon, apparently; it was included in some notes which were never exported out of Japan, and I stumbled on a random translation time ago. I didn't have it at the moment of writing so I may have played it differently._

_Also, God bless WriteMonkey. I managed to write and edit all this within only two days, despite how I had to spent lots of good hours studying as well._

_I hope you enjoyed!_


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